Wire reel



J. H. COHEN April 9, 1929.

WIRE REEL Filed Dec. 4, 1926 E; INVENTOR. JH Co/E ORNEY Patented Apr. 9,1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. COHEN, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

WIRE REEL.

Application filed December This invention relates to ire reelarrangements for cigar-lighters, trouble lamps, etc., and particularlythose adapted for use on the instrument board of motor vehicles.

An object of this invention is to provide simple and positive means forback-checking the operation of a spring-wound cablc carrying reel ofcigar-lighters, trouble lamps, etc, so that When desired a cigarlighteror trouble lamp, which is attached to the end of the cable wound on thereel, may be held automatically in position withdrawn from the reelcasing.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form'of the presentinvention v Figure 1 is a side View of a cable-carrying reel showing itmounted on an instrument board of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'is a longitudinal section showing the operating parts of thepresent invention.

Fig. i is a transverse section of the reel and reel casing.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the backcheck pawl in operativeposition.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the device of the presentinvention comprises a reel casing 10 having secured to it an attachingsleeve 11 adapted to pass through an aperture 12 in an instrument board13 to be clamped thereon by means of a clamping nut l t. The sleeve 11is adapted normally to receive and hold a nozzle 15 which may contain atits end a cigar-lighting unit 16, or, if desired, a trouble lamp orother electrical appliance, it being old in the art to substitutecigarlighter units for trouble lamps, etc.

The nozzle 15 is connected to a cable 17 which is wound on a reel 18comprising a core 19 and side disks 20 and 21. The core 19 is mounted ona bushing 22 rotatably mounted on a rod 23 which is anchored againstrotation in the reel casing 1O by a lock nut 24. The di k 21 is providedwith a flange 25 containing awinding spring 26 whose one end is fastenedto the flange 25 while the other end is fastened to a hook 27 on theshaft 23. 'As shown in Fig. 4, the wires of the cable 17 arerespectively connected to the disks 20 and 21, the former beinginsulated fromthe bushing 22 and re- 4, 1926. Serial No. 152,685.

ceiving current through a brush 28 from a wire adapted to be connectedto a binding post 29. The disk 21 is electrically con nected to thebushing 22 and through the shaft 23 to the casing 24 and through thecasing to the ground of the motor vehicle in case the instrument boardis made of metal. In case the instrument board is made of wood as shownin the drawing, a ground wire of the motor vehicle attached to the shaft22 by means of a nut 30. By this means, current is carried to thecurrentconsuming device 16 when a switch button 31 on the latter isoperated.

It frequently occurs, especially when the nozzle 15- is connected to atrouble lamp, that the user desires to keep the nozzle 15 in someposition removed from the sleeve 11, as, for instance, under thecar-when making repairs or adjustments or near one of the wheels whenchanging a tire at night and, therefore, means have been provided forpreventing re-winding movement of the reel 19 when desired.

According to the present invention, this is accomplished by providingone or more ledges or abutments 32 on the flange 25 of the disk 21constituting the reel and a backcheck pawl 33 which may cooperate withthe ledges 82 toprevent backward movement of the reel. Preferably, thisback-check pawl 33 is in the form of a cylindrical block and has oneportion of its top out off to constitute a tooth 34 adapted to engagethe ledges 32 and prevent backuurrd movement of the reel. Thecylindrical block constituting the back-check pawl 33 is preferablymounted for longitudinal movement in a cylindrical tubular extension 35riveted or otherwise secured at 36 to the bottom of the asing 10, andthe back-check pawl is normally urged upwardly into position to causethe tooth 34: to engage the ledges 32 on the reel by means of a coilspring 37 located in the extension 35 between the end wall 38 thereofand the bottom of the back-check pawl In order that the back-check pawlmay be controlled by the operator so that it may be moved to inoperativeposition when desired and may be held in inoperative position withoutthe attention of the operator, there is provided a control device 39comprising a flat plate having a narrow finger 40 normally riding in aslot in the cylindrical tubular casing 35 and extending through a slot42 in the back-check pawl 3i This slot 42 is sufficiently wide to permitrise and fall movements of the back-check pawl 33 with respect to thefinger as the ledges 32 "press over the top of the teeth 34 on theextended surface 44, so that when the control device 39 is movedroarwardly or to the left as seen in lhg. 5, the cam 43 will engage theback-check pawl 33 and depress it against the tension of the spring 3-7,and the continued backward movement of the control device 39 will causethe back-check pawl 33 to be held in depressed position because of theengagement of the flat surface 44 with the flatbottom wall of the slot42 in the back check pawl (see Fig. The upward pressure of theback-check pawl 33 against the fiat surface 44 of the control device'39,which pressure is caused bythe spring 37, is sufficient to hold thecontrol device 39 in adjusted position against accidental, withdrawal,and likewise the cam 43 on the control device 39 holds the controldevice in the position in which it permits the pawl 33 to function, thatis to, say, in the position shown in Fig. 5.

' Of course, the control device 39 may be operated in any desiredmanner, but, according to thepresent invention, it is preferable thatthe forward end on the control device be provided with a screw-threadedportion 46, adapted to bethreaded in a rod 47 having a finger-piece 48.This rod 47 preferably has providedfor it a bushing 49 which passesthrough a hole 50 in the instrument board, behind which it is inscrevthread engage- I ment with a supporting arm 51 secured to the reelcasing 10.

In assembling the device on the instrument board after the suitableholes 12 and 50 have been provided therein, the sleeve 11 is passedthrough the holes 12 and the device is secured in place by the nut 14after the sleeve 49 and the operating rod 47 are removed from the arm51. After this is done, the sleeve 49and the rod 47 are screwed back inplace. on the supporting arm 51 and the screw-threaded portion 46 of thecontrol device 39} The control device 39 is so shaped that it has aforward stopping shoulder 52 adapted toengagethe arm 51 when the handle48 is pulled outwardly, and a shoulder 53 which is adapted to engage theextension 35 when the handle 47 is pushed inwardly, thus the twopositions of the control device. 39 are accurately determined withoutadding any extra parts for the purpose. 7

\Zariations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others. iHaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and forwhich it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is v 1. In combination, areel casing; a wire reel mounted therein; a spring for said reel; atubular extension in saidreel casing; a back-check pawl for said reelmounted in said tubular extension; a spring mounted in said tubularextension between the backcheck pawl andthe end wall of said extensionand tending to urge said back-check pawl toward said reel and a camacting on said pawl to move the same to, inoperative position againstthe tension of said spring.

2. In combination, a reel'casin'g;a wire reel mounted therein; a springfor said reel; a tubular extension in said reel easing; a back-checkpawl for said reel mounted in said tubular extension; a spring tendingto urgesaid back-check pawl outwardly of-said tubular extension towardsaid'reel; and a control device guided in said extension for movementtherethrough transversely of the said tubular extension between thebackcheck pawl and the end wall of said extension and tending to urgesaid back-check pawl toward said reel; and a control device guided insaid extension for movement therethrough transversely of the extensionfor positively withdrawing the back-check pawl against the tendency of.said spring awayfrom the reel into inoperative position, said springwhen tensioned by movement of the back-check pawl to inoperativeposition being adapted to yieldingly hold said control device, throughthe engagement of the backoheclr pawl therewith, against accidentalmovement. V

4. In. combination, a reel casing; a wire reel mounted therein; a springforsaid reel;

a circular tubular extension in said reel cylindrical back-checkpawl tooperate the back-check pawl to move the same from operative toinoperative positions and to prevent rotation of the cylindricalback-check pawl in the cylindrical casing, so that the tooth on thecylindrical back-check pawl will be maintained in proper operatingposition;

5. In combination, a reel casing; a wire reel mounted in the casing; aspring for said reel; a back-check device for said reel; an arm securedto said casing and extending beyond the same; a sleeve mounted in saidarm and adapted to extend through an instrument board of a motorvehicle; and manually operable means for controlling said back-checkdevice, said manually operable means being slidably mounted in saidsleeve for operating movements.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of l airfield, and State ofConnecticut, this 19th day of November, 1926.

JOSEPH H. COHEN,

